Category: US Navy Pacific Fleet

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

SAN DIEGO – Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) returned to its homeport in Naval Base San Diego, Dec. 14, following the completion of its participation in the 18th annual Pacific Partnership mission.

Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Pearl Harbor departed San Diego in July, and conducted mission stops in the Philippines, Malaysia, Fiji and Tonga, where it was joined by partners from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.

“USS Pearl Harbor was an irreplaceable piece of the Pacific Partnership 2023 mission,” said Capt. Claudine Caluori, mission commander. “I would like to thank Pearl Harbor and her crew for the many months of dedication they have poured into executing one of the most challenging and rewarding missions in the fleet. Your efforts have directly supported U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s priority of bolstering security and stability in the region.”

The team aboard Pearl Harbor supported individual projects tailored to the specific requirements based on requests of each host nation to include engineering, medical, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and host-nation outreach engagements with Allies and partners.

A set of Sailors embarked the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Shimokita from Brisbane, Australia, to Tailevu Province, Fiji, to conduct a mangrove revitalization project that will serve as natural protection along the country’s southeast coastline. Another set of Pearl Harbor Sailors swapped ships with Sailors from the Republic of Korea’s ROKS Cheon Ja Bong for a cultural exchange on the transit from the Philippines to Malaysia.

“Missions like these are the very reason why people join the Navy, and the steadfast dedication and commitment the crew poured into this deployment is worthy of the highest praise,” said Cmdr. Sameer Khanna, Pearl Harbor commanding officer. “But for right now, I am eager to give my Sailors and Marines well deserved time to celebrate the holidays at home with their loved ones.”

Pearl Harbor was joined by Independence class littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6), who made mission stops to Samoa and Fiji. The USS Mercy is currently supporting Pacific Partnership 2024-1, who will conduct mission stops throughout the South Pacific until early next year.

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Pacific Partnership 24-1 has kicked off its third mission stop in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, Dec. 12.

This mission stop will host a fly-in only team of 76 Pacific Partnership 24-1 (PP 24-1) personnel. Due to the size of USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), the ship was unable to anchor off the coast of Pohnpei.

The fly-in team will have PP24-1 medical, U.S. Pacific Fleet band, and Humanitarian and Disaster Relief members serving in Pohnpei. The arrival of the team marks the next phase of the PP 24-1 mission that will enable participants, including U.S. and Pohnpei, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.

Pacific Partnership was last in Pohnpei in 2015 aboard Military Sealift Command’s Joint High Speed Vessel, USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3).

“I would like to thank the government of Micronesia for inviting Pacific Partnership to your country,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark A. Melson, Commander, Task Force 73 and executive agent for this year’s mission. “It is a true testament of our enduring bonds of friendship and shared vision of a stronger Indo-Pacific. We at the Pacific Partnership team are honored to work alongside you in making that vision a reality.”

At the invitation of host nations, the Pacific Partnership’s mission partners conduct tailored humanitarian civic action preparedness activities in areas such as disaster response, public health, and host nation outreach events.

Pacific Partnership’s medical team, working with the Pohnpei Department of Health, will provide tailored medical care focusing on surgical care, training for first responders, clinical care, subject-matter exchanges, and community education.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet Band will be holding community outreach concerts at local schools throughout Pohnpei, as well as a public concert at Pohnpei State Gym on Friday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.

“We greatly appreciate the service of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces participating in Pacific Partnership 2024,” said U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Johnson, ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. “Pacific Partnership 2024 builds on our people-to-people ties with the citizens of the FSM and expands our deep and enduring partnership in the islands.”

Pacific Partnership focuses on multiple lines of effort to help build resilience and host nation capacity to support essential humanitarian services.

This year’s mission will also feature nearly 1,500 personnel from allies and partner nations including Australia, Chile, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and New Zealand.

Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation, the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006.

Pacific Partnership, now in its 19th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information about Pacific Partnership visit www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership. Pacific Partnership public affairs can be reached via email at cherylcollins.pp24@gmail.com.

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

PEARL HARBOR – As Pacific Partnership 2023 draws to a close, the relationships and advances established through the mission’s lines of effort are very deep and tangible, and a testament of what nations are capable of achieving when aligned as a united force.

Behind the scenes of the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific are various working hands, from our host and partner nation planning teams, civilian and military contracting officers and contractors, and their logistical chains.

Lt. j.g. Jacob Deordio, assigned to the USS Essex (LHD 2) in San Diego, Calif., stepped up to the plate to serve as the Mission Supply Officer, who coordinated with the above working groups to execute the pieces of a very convoluted four month deployment.

“When I heard about the availability to participate on this mission, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Deordio. “This was my first big assignment in the Navy.”

Now in its 18th year, Pacific Partnership made mission stops to Vietnam, the Philippines, Samoa, Malaysia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga, and was joined by Harpers-Ferry class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) as the main platform. Pearl Harbor supported mission stops to Malaysia, Fiji and Tonga, and was supplemented by various naval logistics chains for military air transportation.

“The first thing I needed to figure out was who to talk to and how to get pieces moving,” said Deordio.

Deordio’s team of logistics specialists would arrive in each mission stop ahead of the main body to prepare for personnel and equipment arrival. The team experienced their biggest challenge in Papua New Guinea, when a broken plane and local worker’s strike impeded the outbound exit from the country. In order to meet mission requirements, the team had to figure out how to move personnel and equipment within a narrowing time window.

“This job requires keeping a wide network of moving people,” Deordio noted. “This was not a solo mission. Hands from various naval logistical chains, defense contractors and local Papua New Guinea travel coordinators mobilized to move a whole crew of personnel and their equipment. Problems will present themselves all the time, but our job is to present solutions and execute them as efficiently as possible.”

Employing the full force of the naval logistics community to include Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific, Navy Air Logistics Office and Command, Fleet Air Western Pacific, Deordio and his team got staff out of the country via military air transportation and onto their next destination ahead of schedule.

When asked about his success on mission, Deordio is quick to compliment his team.

“I am grateful for the patience and guidance people have shown me throughout deployment. I had a team of hard hitters around me. Their efforts contributed to the overall success of the mission,” said Deordio. “I would like to thank Lt. Calvin Do, Chief Petty Officer Anthony Wilson and Petty Officer 2nd Class Maricela Jones for their unwavering SUPPOrt and dedication to this mission. I’d also like to thank the team of deployable contracting officers from Fleet Logistics Command for their expert, on the ground technical support.”

“My biggest takeaway from this mission is that malfunctions can arise at any time, and the Navy has a wide range of specialized assets and people to overcome these challenges,” said Deordio.

Pacific Partnership completed its final mission stop in Tonga on Nov. 20 before returning to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to conclude the mission on Dec. 1. USS Pearl Harbor is scheduled to return to its homeport in San Diego later this month with Lt. j.g. Deordio aboard, who says he looks forward to celebrating the holidays with his wife once he gets home.

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

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Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

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Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

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Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

The hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived Dec. 21 in the Republic of Palau to begin the fourth mission stop of Pacific Partnership 24-1, the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region. This marks the sixth time Pacific Partnership has come to Palau, the previous visit was in 2022.

At the invitation of host nations, Pacific Partnership’s mission partners will conduct tailored humanitarian civil action preparedness activities in areas such as engineering, disaster response, public health, and host nation outreach events.

This year’s mission will feature military personnel from Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, and New Zealand. The Pacific Partnership 24-1 mission has completed stops in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Its final mission stop will be in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia.

“The United States is committed to the people of Palau as we share deep ties and a long-standing friendship that spans decades”, said U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Palau, Joel Ehrendreich. “Pacific Partnership allows us to work shoulder-to-shoulder as friends and partner nations to collectively grow our ability to quickly respond to disasters or medical emergencies, if and when that comes to the Indo-Pacific region.”

USNS Mercy will anchor off the state of Koror with a team of more than 750 civilian crew members and uniformed military members. The ship has 12 fully equipped operating rooms, 1,000 hospital beds, radiological services, a dental clinic, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, optometry facilities, a CT scanner, and an oxygen-producing plant.

During the Palau mission stop, the Pacific Partnership team will conduct community health engagements in Koror, Peleliu, and Babeldaob, which include optometry (vision screenings, glasses and sunglasses dispensing), dentistry (examinations, extractions, and fluoride treatments), and chronic disease screening. These services are free and open to the public on a first come, first serve basis. The U.S. Embassy Koror Facebook page will provide updated information on the location and times of these community engagements.

Surgeons will also perform operations onboard USNS Mercy. Patients will be pre-screened through a process coordinated through the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services and with local doctors. Pacific Partnership medical providers will also conduct medical subspecialty care and training engagements at Belau National Hospital, working side-by-side with their Palauan medical colleagues, as well as training in trauma, obstetric, and neonatal emergencies.

Additionally, the U.S. Pacific Partnership band, comprised of musicians from the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, the Royal Australian Navy and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force will perform free concerts at Ernguul Park on Dec. 23rd, Surangel’s Shopping Center in Airai on Christmas Eve, and at the Old Age Home in Koror on December 28th. There will also be host nation outreach events for Sailors to play sports with students who are on Christmas break from school. Experts in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will conduct workshops for safe boating and disaster risk management.

“When speaking about the Palau mission stop, U.S. Joint Region Marianas (JRM) Senior Military Official for the Republic of Palau, Rear Admiral Greg Huffman said, “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to President Whipps, his staff and the entire Palau community for the support they have provided this mission. The trust built through collaborative exercises like Pacific Partnership strengthen our shared capacity and deepen our special strategic partnership.” Rear Admiral Huffman will attend the opening ceremony of Pacific Partnership 24-1 in Palau onboard USNS Mercy. “This mission fosters multilateral cooperation and emphasizes a multinational and whole-of-government approach between our countries that continues to promote stability, unity and prosperity in Palau and throughout the region.”

Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation, the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006.

Pacific Partnership, now in its 19th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information about Pacific Partnership, go to www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership. For questions about Pacific Partnership engagements and band concerts, please contact U.S. Embassy Koror public affairs officer Jason Frohnmayer at FrohnmayerJO@state.gov.

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Pacific Partnership 24-1 (PP24-1) concludes 10 days of medical, humanitarian and disaster response and host nation outreach efforts in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, closing out its third mission stop Dec. 21.

This mission stop hosted a fly-in only team of 76 Pacific Partnership 24-1 (PP 24-1) personnel. Due to the size of USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), the ship was unable to anchor off the coast of Pohnpei. This was Pacific Partnership’s third time to visit Pohnpei.

“Pacific Partnership’s Mission Team has done an amazing job in their short time in the state of Pohnpei,” said U.S. Embassy Kolonia Ambassador Jennifer Johnson. “Their presence has been felt across communities here through cultural events, no-cost dental and optical care, training of health care personnel, community service, and disaster management preparation, adding to our already deep and enduring partnership and ties with the FSM.”

Pacific Partnership fosters enduring friendship and cooperation among many nations. During the mission stop, personnel from the U.S. Navy and Army collaborated with Pohnpei professionals and U.S. military veterans in Pohnpei to enhance capabilities across medical, humanitarian assistance disaster relief and host nation outreach lines of effort.

“I would like to thank the government and people of Pohnpei for welcoming the Pacific Partnership team into their country,” said Capt. Jeffrey Feinberg, commanding officer of USNS Mercy. “I am inspired by the collaboration between our team and the community of Pohnpei that demonstrates bonds of friendship and enduring trust between our nations.”

Pacific Partnership is an enduring mission that focuses on multinational cooperation and host nation capacity building in order to ensure a more secure Indo-Pacific.

Throughout their 10-day stay in Pohnpei, PP24-1 forces conducted more than 51 medical engagements, including 737 dental procedures. The optometry team distributed more than 685 prescription glasses and 777 pairs of sunglasses. Additionally, the Pacific Partnership medical team conducted 29 side-by-side surgeries at Pohnpei State Hospital.

The mission’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response leads conducted 2 workshops, which included Pohnpei first responders. U.S. Army personnel, along with U.S. Coast Guard members from United States Coast Guard Sector Guam, hosted one search and rescue exercise in order to increase host nation capability during disaster relief.

Part of the host nation outreach line of effort, U.S. Pacific Fleet Band members performed seven concerts for local schools and the local community around Pohnpei. These concerts contributed to enhancing strong bonds of friendships with U.S. members and the local community.

“Playing music around Pohnpei during Pacific Partnership has been a truly remarkable experience,” said Petty Officer First Class Paul Tomson. “Pohnpei inspired us with hospitality, and we hope that we’ve inspired Pohnpei through music. We look forward to continuing our partnership by making music together in the future.”

As part of Pacific Partnership 24-1, U.S. Navy divers from Task Group 73.6 removed and disposed of MV Micro Glory, a derelict cargo vessel, from Dekehtik Harbor. This operation was at the request of the Micronesian Government in coordination with Transportation, Communications, and Infrastructure Department, Environmental Protection Agency, and Pohnpei Port Authority. The disposal reduced the risk of future environment and economic impacts in Pohnpei.

Now in its 19th iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information about Pacific Partnership and USNS Mercy, visit www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.facebook.com/USNSMERCY, or https://www.msc.usff.navy.mil/ships/mercy

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

A U.S. Navy Sailor assigned to Pacific Partnership 2024-1 (PP24-1) spoke to students about Navy medical career opportunities at the middle school he once attended in Santa Rita, Guam, Dec. 15.

At the invite of teachers from his alma mater, Lt. j. g. Nikko Cabrera, a nurse aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), spoke at Commander William C. McCool Middle School to increase student awareness about the Navy Nurse Corps.

“Today I supported my former middle school teachers by speaking to their advanced via individual determination students” said Cabrera. “We had a great talk about our different pathways into nursing and becoming a Navy nurse.”

Cabrera presented a slideshow showcasing information about the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and nurse candidate program.

“We spoke about ROTC and the nurse candidate program so we can touch base with kids interested in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard” Cabrera said. “It allowed to me to see where their heads were at and what kind of plans they have in life.”

Cabrera said returning to his old stomping grounds gave him a sense of nostalgia and that speaking with the students excited him for their futures.

“Middle school has very core memories in my heart, being a volley ball captain, student council, and being an AVID student as well’ said Cabrera. “Being able to see the next generation pick-up where I left off was great”

Pacific Partnership, now in its 19th iteration, is the largest multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific and works to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships.